Sunrise And Sunset
by AspireToGreatness
Summary: A sasuino one shot post the Great Ninja War. (no spoilers) Sasuke is back in Konoha but things just aren't the same.
1. Raven in the Night

**Sunrise and Sunset **

Sasuke sat in a tree above the main shopping area of Konoha. He sat with his head hung low, swinging a kunai around his finger.

Naruto, Ino and Sakura were walking through the shopping center.

"Why do I have to carry your bags? I'm the village hero not your personal mule." Naruto whined to Ino and Sakura who were walking on either side of him.

"This is great for your image. Sure you're the village hero but you're not better than any other villager." Ino wagged her finger in Naruto's face.

"If the villagers see you helping out, they will think highly of your character." Sakura smirked.

"So saving all of your lives wasn't enough?" Naruto mumbled.

"Listen here Naruto if you don't carry these bags-" Sakura growled shaking her fist at Naruto.

"Hey! Isn't that Sasuke?" Naruto asked as he looked behind Sakura.

Ino and Sakura turned at the same time.

"Why's he just sitting there?" Ino whispered in a small voice almost afraid to ask.

"He's been like that ever since he came back to Konoha." Sakura responded loud enough for Sasuke to hear. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and stabbed the kunai into the branch of the tree.

"Are you ok Sasuke?" Ino asked sweetly.

He frowned at them and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Sakura turned away. "At least he's back in the village." She announced cutting through the air of tension Sasuke left behind and started walking.

"Come on Naruto, Ino. We're almost to my house!" She called behind her.

_Later that evening_

Ino watched the sunset from her back porch. When the sun had gone down completely, she walked down the stairs of the porch and into a secluded spot in her backyard. This spot was located through a path of overgrown rose bushes.

The bushes of red and yellow roses lead to a small clearing with a stream trickling through. Ino sat by the tiny stream and put her hands in. When Ino first discovered the secret area, both of her hands could fit in the small stream, but now only her fingers could fit in her stream.

Ino laid on her back looking up at the stars and put her toes in the cool water. She let down her golden hair and thought of Sasuke. She didn't think of anything specific about him, just pondered about him generally. It was odd having him back in the village after so many years. She couldn't figure out if he was filling a space he left behind, or occupying a space that disappeared a long time ago.

It seemed that not even Sakura was very pleased that he was back. In fact, no one seemed to be.

Ino heard a rustling in the bushes and jumped up. She put her hair back in a ponytail and pulled her kunai out of its pouch. She held the kunai ready in her right hand and her left ready to make chakra signs.

Ino stood up slowly ready to charge at the person advancing towards her.

An anbu mask appeared in front of her, and Ino charged towards the mysterious person.

The raven faced anbu grabbed her wrist tightly. Ino broke the hold and jumped back. She quickly begun weaving hand signs.

"Ino! Stop!" The anbu yelled.

Ino hesitated, and then continued to make the last hand sign. The anbu ripped off his mask and Ino's eyes widened.

"Why are you here?" Ino's arms fell to her sides and she froze.

"I don't know where I am."

"You're lying." Ino stepped back as the anbu stepped toward her.

The anbu looked down at the ground and frowned. He sat and washed his face in the stream.

"You can calm down I'm not going to do anything to you." He looked annoyed with her, and turned to some small flowers. He picked them, and handed them to her.

She took them slowly and sat next to him.

"I just needed someone to talk to, and I saw you here." He looked at her shyly, and then looked up at the stars.

"Why not talk to your teammates? After all this time that's what you need to do." Ino said sharply.

"What would I say?"

Ino sat with the anbu and they talked all night. When the sun rose the next morning, the anbu opened his eyes and looked at the beautiful blonde laying in his arms. She held tightly to the flowers he gave her the night before. He kissed her on the cheek, and stroke her hair which shone beautifully in the bright morning sun.

"Thank you." He whispered, and disappeared.


	2. Flower shop squabble

**Ch. 2**

Sasuke shakes hands with Naruto and Sakura and then walks away.

"So that's it huh?" Naruto questions as he turns to Sakura who is trying hard to hide her pain.

Naruto throws his hands behind his head and squints looking up towards the sky.

"All these years, and he finally apologizes. He even said thank you."

Sakura winces, and her eyebrows crease together in pain. Her lip quivers.

"Are you ok Sakura?" Naruto asks as he attempts to see Sakura's face. Sakura hangs her hand and covers the left side of her face with her hand.

"His thank-you's are meaningless." She whimpers.

Naruto embraces Sakura in his arms, and Sakura cries into his shoulder.

"It's hard for a guy like him Sakura. The only people he ever truly loved were taken away. He spent so many years alone and trying not to let anyone else in…his thank-you's aren't meaningless-they mean this is as much as I can show my love for you." Naruto says to Sakura slowly.

Sakura steps out of Naruto's embrace and looks at him with tear filled eyes for a long while.

She nods with understanding, and runs away.

"Where are you going?" Naruto calls after her but Sakura does not stop running, and does not turn to respond.

Sasuke sits on the roof of the Yamanaka flower shop and debates within himself whether or not he should enter. Ino, who is inside of the flower shop, senses Sasuke's chakra.

**20 minutes later**

Sasuke enters the Yamanaka flower shop with a casual look on his face.

"What took you so long?" Ino asks as she rubs the side of a small glass vase sitting on the counter opposite of the cash register.

Sasuke recognizes the flowers in the vase and clears his throat.

"What do you mean? Were you waiting for me?"

"I sensed your chakra a while ago. I was wondering how long it would take you to come in." Ino moves from behind the counter and walks right up to Sasuke.

She stretches her arm out, and he stiffens uncomfortably. Ino flips the 'OPEN' sign on the flower shop door to 'CLOSED'.

"Now then, how'd you're talk with Naruto and Sakura go?"

"I think it went well."

"Did they say anything?" Ino sits on a stool with her back straight.

"No, we just shook hands."

Ino motions for Sasuke to come over to her.

"That was very brave of you to do what you did. Saying I'm sorry is not always easy."

Sasuke gently pulls Ino's ponytail. "It was for me, I had some great motivation."

Ino blushes, and rests her hand on Sasuke's arm.

He leans down towards her, "I'm not a monster." He whispers when his onyx eyes are at the same level as her bright blues.

"No, you're just a cold hearted and lonely child." Ino responds with a hard gaze.

"I don't want to be alone anymore." Sasuke wraps his arm around her and pulls her towards his lips.

Sasuke and Ino kiss for just a moment. A soft and passionate kiss. Ino pulls back, and places her hands on Sasuke's chest.

Ino pushes Sasuke off of her and walks toward the flower shop door. "Then prove it." She says as she flips the sign back to 'OPEN'.

"How?" Sasuke looks at Ino with sad eyes.

"Go and figure it out." Ino opens the door for Sasuke to leave.


End file.
